Description
A vibrant and hearty Moroccan tomato and chickpea soup served with fluffy couscous, flavored with warm spices like ras-el-hanout and harissa. This comforting dish combines tender chickpeas, aromatic vegetables, and a blend of North African spices for a flavorful, satisfying meal perfect for any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Couscous
- 75g couscous
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
- Enough hot vegetable stock to cover couscous (approximately 150ml)
Soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped into small cubes
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- Half a finger of ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 tsp)
- 1–2 tbsp ras-el-hanout spice blend
- 1 tbsp harissa paste, plus extra to serve
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 750ml hot vegetable stock
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Roughly chopped coriander, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the couscous: Tip the couscous into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir through 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pour over enough hot vegetable stock just to cover the couscous. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside to steam and absorb the liquid.
- Sauté vegetables: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and carrot and cook gently for about 8 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add aromatics and spices: Stir in the crushed garlic and chopped ginger, cooking them for 2 minutes until fragrant. Then add the ras-el-hanout and harissa paste, stirring for another minute to release the spices’ flavors.
- Add tomatoes and stock: Pour in the chopped tomatoes and remaining vegetable stock (ensuring the total stock used is 750ml) and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the drained chickpeas and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer the soup: Let the soup simmer gently for 20 minutes until it thickens slightly and the flavors meld together. Afterwards, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the soup and stir well.
- Fluff the couscous: Remove the cling film from the couscous and fluff it up with a fork to separate the grains.
- Serve: Spoon the hot soup into bowls, top each serving with a mound of couscous, scatter over roughly chopped coriander, and offer extra harissa on the side for those who prefer more heat.
Notes
- Ras-el-hanout is a North African spice blend containing cardamom, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, and black pepper. If unavailable, you can create a similar mix using these spices.
- Adjust the amount of harissa according to your preferred spice level.
- For a creamier soup, puree a portion or all of the soup before serving.
- Vegetable stock can be homemade or store-bought, choose low-sodium for better control of saltiness.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Keywords: Moroccan soup, chickpea soup, tomato soup, couscous, vegetarian, North African spices, ras-el-hanout, harissa
